The ENCODE project has recently expanded its educational reach by adding the online course “Digital Tools for the Research and Study of Ancient Writing Cultures” to the DARIAH-Campus resources. This open course is tailored for teaching staff, professionals working in museums and cultural heritage institutions, and graduates keen to explore the intersection of ancient writing cultures and digital studies. It aims to offer inspiring tools and content, foster awareness of the importance of digital competencies and training in the field of research and study of ancient writing cultures.
An important goal of the ENCODE project was to meet the learning needs of persons studying ancient writing artefacts in old European, Asian and African languages. The learning objectives of the online course are developed based on the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens, also known as DigComp, that offers a tool to improve citizens’ digital competence. The course consists of 4 units (Digital Greek and Latin Epigraphy, Digital Papyrology, Multilingual-Multicultural Digital Infrastructures & How to create Linked Open Data (LOD)?) including user-friendly examples of a variety of digital applications concerning the study, research, preservation and display of this written cultural heritage.
The team behind ENCODE consists of researchers from six universities: Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Julius Maximilian Universität Würzburg, KU Leuven, Università degli studi di Parma, Universität Hamburg and Universitetet i Oslo.
“The course units offer user-friendly examples of how digital applications can enhance the study, research, preservation, and display of cultural heritage,” explains Tom Gheldof (KU Leuven), member of the ENCODE team. “Our goal is to empower users to think critically about the digital transition and its implications, encouraging active participation in shared digital infrastructures and the adoption of Open Science practices.”
Through its interactive and modular approach, established by the publication on #dariahTeach – a platform for Open Educational Resources (OER) for Digital Arts and Humanities – the ENCODE course seeks to move beyond the passive use of digital tools. Participants will gain deeper insights into FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) for managing research data, ensuring their work aligns with international standards for digital heritage preservation and collaboration.
All information about the ENCODE course “Digital Tools for the Research and Study of Ancient Writing Cultures” is available on DARIAH-Campus in the Resources portal: https://campus.dariah.eu/resource/posts/encode-course-digital-tools-for-the-research-and-study-of-ancient-writing-cultures
